Lead

The World Cup's Round of 32 continued to deliver dramatic twists on Friday, with Portugal mounting a comeback to eliminate Croatia in Toronto. In other matches, Spain advanced to the Round of 16 with a comprehensive victory over Austria, while Switzerland enjoyed a comfortable evening against Algeria.

Coverage Comparison

France 24's English-language coverage highlighted the dramatic nature of the Portugal-Croatia clash, which ended in heartbreak for Croatia after a late VAR review. The outlet also focused on Spain's dominance over Austria, noting that the Spanish side controlled the match from start to finish. For Switzerland's match against Algeria, the coverage described an easy evening for the Swiss, with Algeria unable to recover from a two-goal deficit.

Key Claims

  • Portugal's comeback win: According to France 24, Portugal came back from 1-0 down to beat Croatia in Toronto. Goncalo Ramos scored a stoppage-time winner after Cristiano Ronaldo had earlier equalised from the penalty spot.
  • VAR drama: The match ended with last-minute VAR drama that sent Croatia home, as their equaliser was deemed offside, as reported by France 24.
  • Ronaldo's milestone: France 24 reported that Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal from a penalty.
  • Spain's clean sweep: Spain advanced to the Round of 16 with a 3-0 win over Austria, with France 24 noting that La Roja dominated from start to finish, completing four wins out of four with a clean sheet.
  • Austria's lack of shots: Austria did not manage to get a single shot on target, according to France 24's coverage.
  • Switzerland's easy evening: Switzerland had an easy evening against Algeria, who were not able to come back from 2-0 down, as reported by France 24.
France 24 also noted that France is preparing to face Paraguay in Philadelphia, with the match set against the backdrop of searing heat. Other sporting news covered included the start of the Tour de France on Saturday, with Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, and rising French cyclist Paul Seixas expected at the Grand Départ in Barcelona. In tennis, the outlet reported that France's Arthur Fils was eliminated from Wimbledon in the second round by Italy's Matteo Berrettini.